Minimum price for alcohol in Scotland could come in as early as April 2013

A minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit could be implemented in Scotland as early as April 2013 after the Scottish Parliament last week passed key legislation.

The Scottish Government claimed that the Alcohol Minimum Pricing Bill was “a significant step forward in [its] efforts to tackle Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol”.

It also insisted that the policy had won broad support across different sectors, including “significant parts” of the drinks and licensed trade industry.

In addition to setting a minimum price, the Bill also contains the formula for calculating the minimum price. This is based on the strength of the alcohol, the volume of the alcohol and a price per unit of alcohol.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “This is a landmark moment in Scotland’s fight against alcohol misuse. It has been a long road to get to where we are now and we have worked hard to convince those who were in doubt that this was the right policy for Scotland.”

Sturgeon said she believed that the minimum price – when taken together with other measures on issues such as quantity discounts and irresponsible promotions on alcohol as well as a £196m investment – would “help to create the cultural shift needed to change our relationship with alcohol”.